6 fascinating ideas that are about to change our world

With such topics as hydrogen-powered cars and extinguishing fires with sound, the September issue of the BBC's Science Focus magazine details "39 ideas about to change our world."

Amanda Macias contributed to this report.

1. Hydrogen-powered cars and refueling stations

Toyota

Fueled by the chemical reaction of hydrogen gas and oxygen, Toyota's Mirai goes on sale in late 2015, but is expected to remain expensive because for safety reasons as hydrogen gas must be stored in heavy-duty, high-pressure tanks, BBC Science Focus magazine reports.

Therefore, scientists at the UK's Science and Technology Facilities (STFC) are developing a low-cost method of extracting hydrogen from ammonia.

According to Professor Bill David, who leads the STFC research team, "a small amount of hydrogen mixed with ammonia is sufficient to provide combustion in a conventional car engine."

"While our process is not yet optimized, we estimate that an ammonia decomposition reactor no bigger than a 2-liter bottle will provide enough hydrogen to run a mid-range family car," David said in a news release.

Earlier this year, Musk announced a 'Hyperloop pod competition' that would enable students and independent engineering teams to design and build a sub-scale pod for the train. From the more than 1700 teams that registered, 300 teams have just been selected to move to the next stage of the competition.

The winner is expected to test out their pod designs on subscale Hyperloop test track. The BBC Science Focus magazine also reports that test runs are expected to begin in two years.

3. Internet for everyone

Facebook Developers/YouTube

According to the Washington Post, Musk is waiting government approval to send 4,000 small satellites into low-earth orbit. The satellites are designed to beam a high-speed signal to everyone on the planet including remote regions where people do not currently have access to internet.

The filing, made with the Federal Communications Commission in May, proposes tests starting next year, and Musk hopes the service could be up and running in a few years.

5. Fight fire with sound

RAW Embed

As wildfires have been multiplying over recent years and the trend is likely to continue in that direction, new technologies to combat fire are being invented and two students at George Mason University are at the forefront of the trend.

The two students created a device that sends loud noises toward the flames. "At the right frequency, the fire simply dies out," the BBC Science Focus magazine notes.

The pressure waves coming from the device cut off the oxygen supply to the fire as it disrupts the airwaves around the fire.

Although not yet tested on large fires, the students are confident their technology works. "I'd like to see this applied to swarm robotics where it could be attached to a drone and that would be applied to forest fires or even building fires," one of the two students, Seth Robertson and Viet Tran said in a video interview.